FIFA President Infantino Faces Transparency Questions Over $1.72m World Cup Payment
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, is facing questions over an additional $1.72 million payment he reportedly received in 2024 from FWC2026, the US-based entity established to oversee the 2026 World Cup. According to US tax filings cited in an investigative report by The Times, the payment was separate from his reported base compensation package of 4.274 million Swiss francs, valued at approximately $4.86 million. The additional payment was not mentioned in FIFA’s published financial report, raising questions about disclosure requirements under Article 43 of the organisation’s statutes, which provides for the public disclosure of individual compensation for its president, council members and secretary-general. FIFA has rejected allegations of a breach, with a spokesperson telling ESPN that the organisation complies fully with reporting requirements and does not violate its statutes.
Miguel Maduro, a former chairman of FIFA’s governance committee, reportedly described the non-disclosure of additional remuneration from a FIFA-related entity as a potential contravention of the organisation’s transparency rules. The disclosure adds to wider scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership, including reported tensions over a proposed commercial venture involving private investment in the World Cup. FIFA’s handling of disciplinary matters and its governance arrangements have also attracted criticism. The latest controversy has renewed questions about the transparency of the organisation’s expanding commercial operations and whether its compensation disclosure procedures adequately meet its own statutory standards.
